The Future of Apple
Posted on February 20, 2010
The Need:
Since the turn of the century Apple evolved from a secondary computer company into the most potent force transforming media. It is the premier Digital Media innovator as evidenced by the iPod, iPhone and most recently the iPad. Basically each introduction defined a new product category or enabled an incipient one to “cross the chasm” into mass market acceptance. More of the same is expected in the future, not only from products but also from transactional services.
Most any business affected by the future of media will be directly impacted by Apple’s future innovations. Moreover, its existing product lines alone will carry the company past the $100 billion revenue threshold in less than five years.
Revenue Forecast - Percent Sales by Product Line
Filed Under Podcast Audio | Leave a Comment
Inventing the Future at Apple
Posted on January 30, 2010
Phil Leigh
As Xerox PARC pioneer Alan Kay once put it, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it”. Much like it did with the iPod and iPhone, Apple again invented the future when it introduced the iPad tablet computer in January.
From one perspective the iPad is an evolutionary extension of the iPod Touch. It uses the same operating system and user interface. Consumers familiar with the iPod Touch will quickly get the hang of the iPad. Neither device has a hard drive, or unpacks out of the box with a keyboard. Both can use the approximate 140,000 apps available at the Apps Store. The most obvious difference is the iPad screen which is about seven times larger. Read more…
Filed Under Podcast Audio | Leave a Comment
YouTube Stretches its Lead
Posted on October 10, 2009
If you want to learn one way that YouTube is extending its competitive lead, even against rivals like Hulu, this video is for you.
If you watched last week’s video podcast as a stream from our website, you may have noticed that we switched to the YouTube player from our previous Flash player. The change reflects the fact that iPhones and iPods will not display native Flash streams. However, given YouTube’s popularity, Apple developed a special application enabling the units to display YouTube Flash videos. Since Apple has sold about 40 – 50 million of the devices, we want to make it as easy as possible for users to watch Inside Digital Media on their iPhones and iPod Touches. Read more…
Filed Under Podcast Video | Leave a Comment
iPhone and Adobe Go to The Mattresses
Posted on September 14, 2009
Adrian Ludwig of Adobe Flash Marketing
If you would like to learn how Adobe plans to extend Flash Video’s market leadership on computers onto other Internet-connected devices such as mobile phones and consumer electronics appliances, this interview is for you.
About 80% of today’s Internet Video is streamed in Adobe’s Flash format. That’s because nearly all computer users installed a Flash player. Consumers also like that Flash provides an “instant-on” playback experience, thereby avoiding the wait for a download.
However, Apple’s iPhone does not support Flash. Even at YouTube, where Flash dominates, iPhone subscribers must use a special prepackaged application to watch the videos. When iPhone subscribers visit other websites streaming Flash, they simply cannot see the videos. As a concrete example, iPhone subscribers can watch Inside Digital Media video streams at our YouTube channel, but to get them directly from our website they must either subscribe to the podcast or click on the “download to iPod and iPhone” link.
Obviously, Adobe is worried about the iPhone’s avoidance of Flash. The situation creates a conflict that is, as Don Corleone might put it, forcing the two sides to “go to the mattresses”. Our guest today is Adrian Ludwig who is the Group Manager for marketing Flash. His objective is to get Flash as widely deployed on mobile phones and consumer electronics appliances as it is on computers. Read more…
Filed Under Podcast Audio | 2 Comments
How to Watch iPhone Movies on Your TV
Posted on September 3, 2009
If you would like to learn how to watch movies on your TV that were downloaded to your iPhone, this video is for you.
Every iPod or iPhone owner knows they can buy digital music at Apple’s iTunes online store. Most also realize they can rent or purchase movies and TV shows there as well. Finally, many are aware that numerous free video and audio podcasts, some including popular TV shows, are also available. However, few understand that it is not difficult use iPods and iPhones to watch the movies stored on the portable units through a conventional flat panel TV. Read more…
Filed Under Podcast Video | 27 Comments
Reviving the Record Labels
Posted on September 2, 2009
Phil Leigh
If you would like to learn one way the record labels might reinvigorate their business, this audio is for you.
Everybody recognizes that the Internet radically transformed the recorded music business. Apple’s iTunes online store sells more music than any retailer having displaced Wal-Mart and Target. As a consequence pre-recorded CD sales are down over 50% from ten years ago when Shawn Fanning’s Napster was set-loose, even though it was later jailed. Read more…
Filed Under Podcast Audio | Leave a Comment
Netbooks Accelerate Internet-Video-to-the-TV Adoption
Posted on April 6, 2009
How will Internet-Video-to-the-TV be impacted if inexpensive “netbooks” take market share away from conventional laptop computers?
By way of background, netbooks are pint-sized laptop computers. Typically they have nine-inch screens as compared to fifteen-inches (or bigger) for a conventional laptop. Also netbooks have less powerful processors, smaller memories, and less sophisticated software. Gartner estimates that they could account for 10% of laptop computer sales by the end of this year.
Read more…
Filed Under Podcast Audio | Leave a Comment
3rd Party Widgets for Verizon FiOS TV
Posted on April 1, 2009
Joe Ambeault, Verizon
What if Verizon FiOS offered a video-centric “apps store” for its television set-top box analogous to the one that Apple has for the iPhone?
The answer depends upon the restrictions that Verizon might impose on third-party developers. For example, if sites like Hulu, TV.com, and Joost are allowed to develop widgets enabling FiOS subscribers to visit the websites to watch TV shows over the Internet, then it would be significant. However, if Verizon moves slowly, or only permits a few applications from those not affiliated with current programmers providing shows for FiOS IPTV service, then it may be relatively inconsequential for two reasons. Read more…
Filed Under Podcast Audio | Leave a Comment
